1. A microfluidic cell, comprising:
a. a compressible block, including a first horizontal surface, an opposite second horizontal surface and a plurality of vertical surfaces therebetween, a gasket structure depending downwardly from the second horizontal surface, the gasket structure defining an open cavity therein, the compressible block defining a fluid inlet passage and a fluid outlet passage each in fluid communication with the cavity and opening to a selected one of the first horizontal surface and one of the plurality of vertical surfaces; and
b. a cantilever including a body portion and a beam extending laterally therefrom, the body portion embedded in the compressible block and a portion of the beam extending into the cavity defined by the gasket structure.
2. The microfluidic cell of claim 1, wherein the compressible block comprises a polymer.
3. The microfluidic cell of claim 2, wherein the polymer comprises a gas permeable polymer.
4. The microfluidic cell of claim 3, wherein the gas permeable polymer comprises poly(dimethylsiloxane).
5. The microfluidic cell of claim 1, wherein the compressible block comprises a material that is transparent to a preselected wavelength of electromagnetic energy.
6. The microfluidic cell of claim 1, wherein the cantilever further comprises a probe extending downwardly from a distal end of the beam.
7. The microfluidic cell of claim 1, wherein the preselected wavelength comprises a wavelength selected to illuminate a surface of the cantilever by an atomic force microscopy apparatus.
8. The microfluidic cell of claim 1, wherein the compressible block comprises a unitary piece of a material.
9. The microfluidic cell of claim 1, wherein the compressible block comprises:
a. a first layer having a first side that defines an indentation configured to receive a first portion of the cantilever therein;
b. a second layer disposed on the first side of the first layer and embedding a second portion of the cantilever, the second portion of the cantilever; and
c. a gasket layer disposed on a second side of the second layer, the gasket layer defining the gasket structure.
10. The microfluidic cell of claim 9, wherein each of the first layer, the second layer and the gasket layer comprise a polymer.
11. The microfluidic cell of claim 10, wherein the polymer comprises a gas permeable polymer.
12. The microfluidic cell of claim 11, wherein the gas permeable polymer comprises poly(dimethylsiloxane).
13. The microfluidic cell of claim 1, further comprising an imaging surface against which the gasket structure is disposed so that the cavity forms a sample chamber.
14. The microfluidic cell of claim 13, wherein the imaging surface comprises a material to be imaged.
15. A microfluidic cell, comprising:
a. a compressible block comprising a gas permeable polymer and including a first horizontal surface and an opposite second horizontal surface and a plurality of vertical surfaces therebetween, a gasket structure depending downwardly from the second horizontal surface, the gasket structure defining an open cavity therein, the compressible block defining a fluid inlet passage and a fluid outlet passage each in fluid communication with the cavity and opening to a selected one of the first horizontal surface and one of the plurality of vertical surfaces, the gas permeable polymer comprising a material that is transparent to a preselected wavelength of electromagnetic energy selected to illuminate a surface of the cantilever by an atomic force microscopy apparatus; and
b. a cantilever including a body portion and a beam extending laterally therefrom, the body portion embedded in the compressible block and a portion of the beam extending into the cavity defined by the gasket structure.
16. The microfluidic cell of claim 15, wherein the cantilever further comprises a probe extending downwardly from a distal end of the beam.
17. The microfluidic cell of claim 15, wherein the gas permeable polymer comprises poly(dimethylsiloxane).
18. The microfluidic cell of claim 15, wherein the compressible block comprises a unitary piece of a material.
19. The microfluidic cell of claim 15, wherein the compressible block comprises:
a. a first layer having a first side that defines an indentation configured to receive a first portion of the cantilever therein;
b. a second layer disposed on the first side of the first layer and embedding a second portion of the cantilever, the second portion of the cantilever; and
c. a gasket layer disposed on a second side of the second layer, the gasket layer defining the gasket structure.
20. The microfluidic cell of claim 15, further comprising an imaging surface, that includes a material to be imaged, against which the gasket structure is disposed so that the cavity forms a sample chamber.
21. A method of making a microfluidic cell, comprising the steps of:
a. placing a gas permeable polymer into a mold that defines a void that is complimentary in shape to a compressible block including a first horizontal surface and an opposite second horizontal surface and a plurality of vertical surfaces therebetween, a gasket structure depending downwardly from the second horizontal surface, the gasket structure defining an open cavity therein, the compressible block defining a fluid inlet passage and a fluid outlet passage each in fluid communication with the cavity and opening to a selected one of the first horizontal surface and one of the plurality of vertical surfaces;
b. removing the flexible polymer from the mold so as to define the compressible block; and
c. inserting a cantilever into the compressible block, including a body portion and a beam extending laterally therefrom, so that the body portion is embedded in the compressible block and a portion of the beam extends into the cavity defined by the gasket structure.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the polymer comprises poly(dimethylsiloxane).
23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of placing the gasket structure against an imaging surface so as to seal the gasket structure to the imaging surface.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for monitoring aeration in a fluid of a hydraulic circuit, the apparatus comprising:
at least two measuring units configured to connect at a first location, and a second location of the hydraulic circuit, the measuring units configured to measure pressure, temperature, and density of the fluid at the respective locations;
a flow controller disposed after one of the measuring units, the flow controller configured to control a flow rate of the fluid from one of the first and second locations across one of the at least two measuring units;
a computing unit configured to output aeration values of the fluid at the first and the second location based on the measured pressure, temperature, and density by the two measuring units; and
a correlation unit configured to correlate aeration levels at the first and second locations based on the measured aeration values.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computing unit and the correlation unit reside on a data acquisition unit.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measuring unit configured to measure density is a coriolis flow meter.
4. An engine system including:
an engine including an oil gallery;
a tank fluidly connected to the oil gallery and configured to supply fluid to the oil gallery; and
the apparatus of claim 1, configured to monitor aeration in the fluid supplied from the tank to the oil gallery of the engine.
5. An engine system comprising:
a tank configured to store oil;
an engine including an oil gallery configured to receive pressurised oil from the tank; and
an apparatus coupled to the tank and the oil gallery of the engine, the apparatus configured to monitor aeration in oil at the tank and the oil gallery, the apparatus including:
a first and a second measuring unit connected to the oil gallery, and the tank respectively, the measuring units configured to measure pressure, temperature, and density of oil at the oil gallery and the tank;
a flow controller disposed after the first measuring unit, the flow controller configured to control a flow rate of the oil from the oil gallery across the first measuring unit;
a computing unit configured to output aeration values of the oil at the oil gallery and the tank based on the measured pressure, temperature, and density by the first and second measuring units; and
a correlation unit configured to correlate aeration levels at the oil gallery and the tank based on the measured aeration values.
6. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the computing unit and the correlation unit reside on a data acquisition unit.
7. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the measuring units configured to measure density are coriolis flow meters.
8. The engine system of claim 5 further including a pump associated with the second measuring unit, the pump configured to deliver fluid from the tank to the second measuring unit.
9. A method of monitoring aeration in a fluid of a hydraulic circuit, the method comprising:
measuring pressure, temperature, and density of the fluid at a first location, and a second location of the hydraulic circuit;
controlling a flow rate of the fluid past a first measuring unit associated with the first location;
computing aeration values of the fluid at the first and second locations based on the measured pressure, temperature, and density; and
correlating aeration levels at the first and second locations based on the measured aeration values.
10. The method of claim 9 further including receiving the measured pressure, temperature, and density of the fluid from the first measuring unit, and a second measuring unit at a data acquisition unit, the first and second measuring units associated with the first location, and the second location respectively.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein computing aeration values further includes determining density of air at the first and the second location based on the pressure, and the temperature at the first and the second locations respectively.
12. The method of claim 10 further including delivering the fluid from the second location to the second measuring unit by a pump.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein measuring the density of the fluid includes measuring the density of the fluid by a coriolis flow meter.